o Read everything over before clicking “send.” There’s no way to get it back once it’s gone.

o Write only what you’re willing to have all the world see. Once it’s been sent, it’s out of your control.

o Respect others’ privacy. Don’t forward private messages.

o If you’re angry about something, wait until you’ve calmed down to send anything regarding the topic.

Social networking

o Be careful what you post. On some sites, pages can be seen by anyone.

o If you want to post photos of others, ask their permission first.

o Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.

o It’s alright to ask others to remove a photo or comment about you from their page, or to delete something someone posted from your own page.

o It’s never okay to contribute to or visit pages that make fun or a classmate or acquaintance.

Music players and portable games

o Take both earbuds out when you’re in a conversation or dealing with a service person.

o Take earbuds out when there is a safety issue: biking, skiing, running, or when someone might need to get your attention.

o Keep the volume down in public places.

o Do NOT play games while you’re in a conversation with others.

Cyberbullying and Sexting

Bullying is an unfortunate fact of middle school life and it’s not limited to the playground. Cyberbullying is using a social network site, Twitter, email, texts, or voice mail to intimidate or malign another. Sexting is posting or texting sexually explicit material about or to someone. Both forms of harassment can have dire consequences for the victim. Be sure your kids know that if they experience or are aware of cyberbullying or sexting, they should let a responsible adult know immediately.